Coimbatore

No relief for Dhinakaran; Madras High Court orders speedy trial in FERA case

The Madras High Court on Monday ordered the Enforcement Directorate to step up trial against FERA violation case against AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran. Today’s order withdraws temporary relief to the nephew of jailed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala.

The Madras High court on Monday revoked the stay it had granted on the proceedings against him in FERA case pending in a special court at Egmore in Chennai.

But at the same time, the High Court also set aside earlier charges framed against Dhinarakan on April 19 and directed the trial court to carry out the process again, after giving adequate time to the AIADMK leader to submit his objections. What is important is that Mr Justice M S Ramesh asked the trial court to finish the trial in three months.

It was partial relief for Dhinakaran after the judge rules on his plea seeking quashing of charges framed against him because the trial court had failed to give him adequate opportunity to make submissions before charges were framed.

The Enforcement Directorate alleged that Dhinakaran acquired $1,04,93,313 in foreign exchange without obtaining prior permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and deposited it in the current account of Dipper Investments Limited. This company is based in the British Virgin Islands. Holding him guilty of FERA violation, the ED had imposed a penalty of Rs 28 crore on him.

Earlier in 2015, Dhinakaran got away after trial court discharged him from the case, but the ED appealed and got the court to reverse its order and carry on with the trial.

It was on April 19 this year that the court had framed charges against Dhinarakan.